Governor Hogan Expands Mask Order, Issues Out-of-State Travel Advisory

During a press conference today, Governor Hogan announced an expansion of the state-wide masking order and a public health advisory for all out-of-state travel. He also announced a recent increase in hospitalizations has triggered a ‘stop sign’ in the ‘Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,’ calling for a pause in further reopening plans.

From the Governor’s press release,

“We find ourselves at a fork in the road—a critical turning point where we could either continue making progress and continue heading in the right direction, or we could ignore the warnings and spike back up like much of the rest of the country,” said Governor Hogan. “We are doing much better on our health metrics than most of the rest of the country, and we are doing much better on our economic recovery than most of the rest of the country, and we want to do what it takes to keep it that way. We have come too far together to lose the progress that we have made on the road to health and economic recovery here in Maryland.”

Expanded Mask Order – Effective Friday, July 31 at 5: 00 p.m., all Marylanders over the age of five are required to wear face coverings in the public spaces of all businesses across the state. Face coverings will also be required in outdoor public areas, whenever it is not possible to maintain physical distancing.
Governor’s Executive Order

Out-of-State Travel Advisory – Effective immediately, Marylanders are strongly advised against traveling to states with positivity rates of 10% or higher. This advisory applies to personal, family, or business travel of any kind; and to the following states – Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, Nebraska, and Idaho. Anyone traveling from these states should get tested and self-quarantine while awaiting results. Governor’s Travel Advisory

During the press conference, the Governor also released findings from data gathered from contact tracers.

Higher-Risk Gatherings (Percentage of Interviewed Cases):
- Family Gatherings – 44%
- House Parties – 23%
- Outdoor Event – 21%
Higher-Risk Locations (Percentage of Interviewed Cases):
- Work Outside the Home – 54%
- Indoor/Retail Shopping – 39%
- Indoor Dining at Restaurant – 23%
- Outdoor Dining at Restaurant – 23%
Employment Information (Percentage of Interviewed Cases):
- Health care – 25%
- Other – Non-public Facing – 23%
- Other – Public Facing – 13%
- Restaurant/Food Service – 12%